A Wedding
by commander-cullywully
Summary: SFW-Cullen x F!Trevelyan- Cullen and Gwyn Trevelyan get married.


Gwyn was quiet as she stared at the gown resting on a mannequin. Her fingers played with the silver-colored lace on the sleeves. She even caught herself smiling as her fingers touched the material near the drooping neckline. And they had wanted gold. Gold seemed a bit much. It was too flashy for Gwyn, too regal. Silver…it was sleek, it was the color of parts of her armor. Parts of Cullen's. It seemed fitting almost that that's what she'd wear.

It felt strange to not be surrounded by people picking at her. It felt strange to sit in Cullen's childhood home, staring at her wedding gown. It was surreal.

"Everything alright in here, dear?" Cullen's mother stood in the doorway, a small smile on her face as she approached the mannequin. "Do you need any help?"

It was still strange to receive the amount of kindness that Cullen's mother and sisters offered her when her own mother and sister were making a point of not attending. Gwyn looked at the gown once more before looking back at Cullen's mother. When she smiled, she could almost see the resemblance between her and Cullen. It was reserved- no teeth exposed, the corners causing skin to wrinkle. When Gwyn nodded helplessly, it was the grin on his mother's face that sealed the deal. Her eyes crinkled as she slowly pulled the material off the mannequin and she pursed her lips in concentration the same way Cullen often did at his desk. Her brow furrowed as she set the material on the floor, opening it up for Gwyn to step into.

"Did you pick the gown?" She asked, slowly raising the material up as Gwyn slipped her arms in the lace sleeves. Gwyn nodded as Cullen's mother tightened the corset back with careful concentration. "It's beautiful, truly. Is it Orlesian?"

"I….I had the gown made in Ostwick, but the silver embellishments were added here in Ferelden," Gwyn blushed. Cullen's mother pulled her hair off to the side to fasten the remaining clasps, then moved in front of Gwyn, her hand covering her mouth as small tears welled up in her eyes.

"You look beautiful, I….Cullen will be…." She let out a breath, then allowed a small laugh to escape. She reached out to squeeze Gwyn's shoulder, only for Gwyn to squeeze her hand back.

"Thank you for this…for everything," Gwyn murmured, wishing there was an easier way to put into words just how much it meant to her that she and Mia had been at her side so much these last few days. Cullen's mother had been working tirelessly on a meal for everyone while Mia and Laurel had worked on the wedding planning from the very beginning. Considering the extensive offers made to Gwyn's mother and sister to help, it had taken Gwyn by surprise when Mia had offered her assistance.

"Mia and Cassandra will be in shortly to help you get ready, dear. I'll see you soon." His mother pressed a kiss to her cheek before leaving the room. No sooner did she leave than Mia entered in quiet shock. Tears were streaming down her face as she eyed Gwyn from head to toe.

"That gown…oh, Gwyn…you look wonderful. Cullen will…" She stopped herself, wiping her face off with a handkerchief. "Let's get your hair fixed," she composed herself as she made long strides to Gwyn's side and began working her fingers. Soon after, Cassandra entered with a handful of flowers.

"Your brother said I could find you in…" she paused, a crooked smile on her lips growing. "Wow. Prisoner to savior, to bride." She blushed as she approached Gwyn and awkwardly wrapped her arms around her.

"I'm so glad that you could make it here, Cassandra," Gwyn returned the hug, her arms holding onto the tall warrior tightly. Aside from Dorian and Varric, Cassandra was probably her closest confidant. In Cassandra's hands were strings of blue flowers.

"Josephine and Cole helped me pick these— Cole specifically said it was important, so we thought you," she gestured towards Mia, "could weave them into her braid?" A wide grin spread over Mia's tear-stained face.

"That would be perfect, Cassandra," she worked each one in carefully as Cassandra moved in front of Gwyn.

"How's Cullen doing?"

"Surprisingly well," Cassandra smiled. "Your brother and Dorian are keeping his thoughts at ease, which seems to be working well. He hasn't grown too impatient…yet. Josephine is watching over everyone else, but she's still frustrated…"

"That we're keeping the wedding private, I know. All week she's been asking me if I'm sure I want to get married here in Honnleath. 'You could utilize King Alistair and Queen Ariadne's land, you know.'"

"She means well," Cassandra shrugged.

"To be fair, you could have," Mia noted from behind Gwyn.

"And we would have abhorred it-Cullen, especially. This is something that we want just our friends and family to be a part of…..not all of Thedas." Gwyn fidgeted with her hands once more until Cassandra held out a small crown made of the same blue flowers she had brought in before.

"For you, to wear. Obviously," Cassandra looked away for a moment before looking back at Gwyn. "Cole mentioned how happy these flowers would make you, so I thought-"

"It's perfect." Gwyn was grinning as she ran her fingers over the petals. "It's called cupid's dart. Cullen….he gave them to me when he asked me to marry him." Her mouth twitched at the memory. The stars, the lake on the horizon, the cool air as he stammered through his words. Mia was squeezing her shoulders, gently bringing her back to the present.

"I'm all done here," she wrapped her arms around Gwyn once more. "I'll give you two a moment alone before the festivities begin and check on my darling baby brother." She pressed a quick kiss to Gwyn's cheek before exiting the room.

Looking in the mirror, Gwyn felt somewhat strange. Mia had braided her hair down the side, weaving in cupid's dart every so often. It looked beautiful. The more Gwyn stared at her handiwork, she was amazed.

"Here." Cassandra placed the crown on her head with care and smiled at the finishing touch. "Breath-taking," she nodded. There was silence between the friends until Cassandra spoke up once more. "How did you know?" Gwyn was staring, unsure of what to say. "How did you know that Cullen was the one?" Gwyn paused, trying to think of the exact moment.

"It sounds silly, but I think it crept up on me. I…I felt him accept me as a leader, a friend….as a lover, even as a mage. I always thought it would be one arbitrary moment that would tell me…but, in all honesty, I feel like it's every action that shook me to my core and led to this moment. It was every smile that lingered…every touch that sparked me…it was how he grew to not just speak to me, but_ with_ me. How he made efforts to be honest, to better himself for himself…" Gwyn paused, taking a quick breath as she realized Cassandra was grinning at her. "I don't know…he just…it was like I woke up and knew I wanted him there through everything." Gwyn shrugged and nervously smoothed her gown.

"You have a way with words," Cassandra smiled. "Besides, Cullen said something similar. Well, Cole did, but that's no matter. The point is— I am glad that you two have found love. I cannot think of two people more deserving." Gwyn settled down next to Cassandra on the bed, her fingers fumbling until Cassandra placed her hands over them. "I am honored to have you as a friend, Gwyn."

"Oh, don't start all that fuss. I'm not going anywhere," the women laughed until Josephine's voice interrupted.

"Are you ladies ready?" Gwyn stood as Cassandra quickly helped smooth her gown.

"A couple more minutes and we'll be right out, Josie. No worries!" Gwyn called, her stomach practically in knots. She studied Cassandra carefully, her short hair in its familiar braid with small white flowers weaved in as she shifted uncomfortably in the red gown Josephine had lent her. She had this timeless beauty that Gwyn envied—mostly because Cassandra denied its existence. Gwyn opened her mouth to say something to Cassandra, to compliment her or to thank her for the level-head she always provided, when her thoughts were interrupted once more.

"Alright. Hurry it up—Cullen looks like he might dig a hole with how much he's pacing around. You know he can't stand still for long," Josephine called. Cassandra chuckled at the image then squeezed Gwyn's shoulders in reassurance.

"I'll go calm the powers that be—Josephine included. Take your time," she offered another smile before leaving Gwyn. It wasn't long before there was another knock at the door and her father poked his head inside. He stared for a moment, grinning as he entered the bedroom.

"You look lovely, my dear." He wrapped his arms around her.

"Thank you," she pressed a kiss to his bearded cheek before wrapping her arm around his.

"You look just like—" He paused, frowning for a moment as he considered his words.

"Like you?" Gwyn smiled, squeezing his arm until he bent over to kiss the top of her head. His face softened as he reached for her hand until he opened the door to reach for something.

"Your friend….the one who talks a lot?"

"That could be anyone of them, really," Gwyn shrugged, laughing. Her father reentered the room with a small bouquet of daisies in his hand.

"Right, sorry. Uh….the dwarf?"

"Oh, Varric."

"He gave me these for you. He said they'd be perfect for 'ponytail.' Nice man—seems like a good friend to have." Her father returned to her side as Gwyn inhaled the bouquet.

"All of them are, really," Gwyn grinned, taking his arm. There was another hasty knock at the door—undoubtedly Josephine. "We'll be right out, Josie. Go sit down for once!"

"Are you ready?" Her father was squeezing her hand tightly. Gwyn tried to imagine Cullen waiting for her, tried to imagine his face and which formal outfit Josephine had convinced him to wear. Finally Gwyn swallowed, her head nodding along until she grinned up at her father.

"Let's do this."

* * *

Mia and Josephine had truly outdone themselves on the work outside. Lanterns were hung, leading the very same trail she had walked blind-folded the night Cullen had proposed. It had actually been Josephine's idea once they had expressed that they wanted a private ceremony. They didn't argue. In fact, Gwyn was ecstatic at the idea they marry at sunset. The sun was already making its descent, casting a swirl of pinks, oranges, and light purples across the sky.

With each step she took, she was beginning to see the small mass of people standing near the tree. Sera was standing near Blackwall in the back, her tongue darting out in Gwyn's direction until Blackwall covered her mouth. Shaking his head and grinning in the distance, he gave a small wave as Gwyn stuck her own tongue out at Sera followed by a short giggle. Mia and her family were standing near Dorian and Brennan, all grinning as Mia wiped her eyes. Cole stood next to Varric, his body leaning towards the dwarf as he undoubtedly whispered hushed readings until Varric patted the young man on the back. Gwyn had wanted to acknowledge everyone there, wanted to take in all the smiles and support that every person was offering. Yet, her eyes had become glued to the figure under the tree. Cullen.

His hands were behind his back, his chin held high. Habit of a soldier, Gwyn had come to know so well. As Gwyn made her approach, she could see Josephine had given him this white jacket with a blue sash. It brightened his whole face. When their eyes met, Cullen was grinning so wide that his scar wrinkled and he looked as if his face might split in two. He had clearly styled his hair, attempting to tame his curls, but just behind his right ear was a slight curl that made Gwyn suppress a laugh. _Hi_, she mouthed the word and gave a small wave with the fingers clutching at her bouquet. Cullen mouthed the word back, his hands already reaching for hers the closer she got.

Behind her, Gwyn could hear quiet sobs—Mia, clearly. Cullen's mother was smiling up from her seat, quiet tears streaming down her face. Her father, still holding onto her arm was now planting a kiss on her cheek.

"Love you," he murmured in her ear. Cullen was shaking his hand before he took a seat; everything was happening so quickly. They had asked Mother Giselle to lead the ceremony, to recite the necessary chants.

"I am told you have prepared your own vows for the evening?" She smiled, an eyebrow raised. Gwyn was staring into Cullen's eyes, their gaze glued on one another until Gwyn nodded.

"I, uh, I wrestled with the right words to say for quite some time now. I could tell you how much you mean to me, how I smile when someone mentions your name, or how much I love seeing your face light up when we haven't seen each other in what seems like ages, whether it's been five minutes or five months. I could tell you the way my heart fluttered when I got to know you, or how it soared when you said my name for the first time instead of my title," she paused to laugh and Cullen squeezed her hands as the corners of his eyes wrinkled in his own short chuckles. She studied his face, taking a short breath as her hand took a moment to smooth the untamed curl behind his ear that he continuously missed.

"My father once told me to watch out for people I could talk to for hours, yet never tire of. He told me that one day I would wake up with someone next to me and my world would just shift completely. I remember asking him if it was that simple, to just wake up and _know. _I didn't understand exactly how that worked until I woke up next to you and realized I wanted _more. _I wanted more late mornings, more restless nights where we talk until we fall asleep in each other's arms…I wanted more days where you made me laugh without meaning to, long nights where we reviewed our reports. It seems so simple now. I wanted _you," _she grinned at him. Her hands were squeezing his as he casually traced small circles on the top of her hand. Small tears were welling in her eyes as she watched him, searching for his reaction.

"I love you and I'm so incredibly grateful for the many more's to come." He wiped a tear rolling down her cheek with the pad of his thumb as she laughed softly, her small body slightly shaking in front of him. She mouthed the words again, _I love you_\- his thumb now running down the length of her jawline. His hands touched the braid of her hair, his smile contagious as he thumbed the petals of a blue cupid's dart. He took a deep breath, putting his focus on her and trying to ignore the group of people surrounding them.

"When I met you, I remember being completely intrigued by you—you had this headstrong will that was…intimidating, to say the least. Yet, you had this overwhelming sense of gentility that both amused and amazed me. Honestly? I couldn't keep my eyes off you, but we'd only just met. But later, after getting to really know you as a person and a leader, and despite any disputes we had had, I…it wasn't hard for me to realize I had grown to care about you a great deal. You…accepted me for my faults, for the mistakes I've made, and you've supported me when I struggled," he paused, watching her smile as his hands cupped her face. He could hear Mia somewhere in the crowd, blowing her nose

"I…I could tell everyone about how I fall in love with you each time you test my patience, each time you challenge my way of thinking…but the truth is, the very first time I fell in love with you was the moment I saw you laugh. It crept up on me in the strangest way, I think, but I loved how your face softened, how your freckles seem to wrinkle with each giggle. More so, I loved how your body rocked with joy when you shook from laughter, how you wipe tears away at the simplest of jokes…you are a constant reminder to me that there is joy and beauty in this world. I cannot possibly begin to imagine a world in which you do not exist in my life, and I don't want to."

Cullen did not wait for Mother Giselle to bless their marriage with the chant Gwyn and Mia had chosen. Instead, he pressed his lips to Gwyn's, practically grinning against them. Their family and friends broke out into applause, tears filling most of their eyes while others hollered in joy. Their foreheads touching, Gwyn's face in his heads, Cullen pulled away to gaze into his wife's eyes.

"Lady Rutherford," she murmured, the heat of their breath mixing between them as she grinned up at him, her face beaming with joy.  
"I quite like the sound of that," His voice was lowered for Gwyn alone; it was as if they were the only two in the grassy fields of Honnleath. Cullen admired the freckles splashed across the skin of her nose, her cheeks. He allowed one of his hands to travel to the back of her neck, short wisps of brown hair slowly entangling around his fingers as his nose brushed against hers. He parted his lips once more, relishing in delight how she felt in his arms, like she belonged there. Reluctantly, she pulled away from him, her eyes dancing in the light of the sunset.

"I love you," she smiled, reaching for his hand. He squeezed her palm, his fingers intertwining themselves among hers. She turned to face their family and friends, grinning as she raised their clasped hands into the air. Cullen watched Gwyn, wave excitedly at several members of the Inquisition. He'd be lying if he said this wasn't the happiest he had ever seen her. He pressed his lips to Gwyn's temple, trying to imagine what their future had in store for them. Children? Adventure? Quiet days in peace? All he knew was that he never felt more at home than he did with her at his side and that alone was more than enough.


End file.
